The following discussion of the prior art is provided as technical background, to enable the features and benefits of the invention to be fully appreciated in an appropriate technical context. However, any reference to the prior art should not be taken as an express or implied admission that such art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
It is known in the art to use soluble pellets or granules, retained by perforated end caps within an elongate tubular body in the form of a straw, to progressively disperse flavouring agents or other ingredients into a carrier liquid drawn through the straw by oral suction, at the point of consumption. Application WO 98/15187 discloses one such device. However, such straws may be unnecessarily complicated and too costly to produce, particularly in disposable form.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate one or more of the limitations of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.